Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie

Fulbright Scholarship

Options
  • 12-03-2007 10:42am
    #1
    paulmay
    Closed Accounts Posts: 10 ✭


    Hello

    I'd like to apply for the 2008 Fulbright Scholarship to study in the US. Has anybody here applied for Fulbright? If so, did you get it, and could you give me an overview of the process?

    Thanks


Comments

  • Options
    #2
    CathalMc
    Registered Users Posts: 225 ✭✭CathalMc


    A friend of mine and myself applied for and got the Fulbright Scholarships last year - but neither of us took them (We also were offered fellowships + other scholarships) due to that home-residency rule that applies after you graduate in the states. This is something you should consider very carefully.

    In my own case there were a number of factors - I'm an EE student, and the possibility of working here (California) is very appealing. The doctorate takes 4-5 years, and who knows what kind of priorities or attachments I'll have then - I certainly don't want to be definitely dragged back to the EU when I'll finally have a chance to live it up properly here :D

    Also, it depends on the school and your offers etc., but some sources of funding are unlikely to be as generous if you already have funding of some form - and the big ones to be investigating are the NUI travelling studentship (I hope you are NUI! :)) and the O'Reilly Foundation. Having said that, you are more likely to get offered a Fulbright but it is not worth as much money (E12k versus E42k-E50k I seem to recall).

    It is worth stating that the Fulbright is well recognized over here too, it'll do your funding opportunities no harm to have it, although some schools will adjust your funding amount accordingly. Since you'll hopefully be applying for the other funding sources too, it's worth applying even if you don't intend taking it for the interview practice.

    And finally, to answer your question... :D

    It's a two part process, there's the application (essay-type stuff, you should be able to find this out on the net) and the shortlisted interview. Essentially the application will be one of the first in a long line of questionnaire/statements-of-intent/self-respect-destroying self-love essays that permeate all the graduate school and funding applications. For the Fulbright you are trying to emphasis your academic excellence (obviously), the importance of your planned research, your determination, leadership skills etc. Importantly for the Fulbright is to interpret the award: Irish-American relations, so strive for that.

    For the interview, it's more of the same - be prepared to talk about the work you've done before, your planned research, and future plans beyond that. And throughout all of this, mention at least twice your plans to return to Ireland. Your future plans are to return to Ireland, and benefit Ireland. Tie your plans to Ireland, tie your research to Ireland. If your plans are to work in industry in Ireland, then you are also there looking to make world-class industry and academic contacts, (because you are an Irish leader). If you are planning to work in academia... same thing. I'm laboring it, because I think it's the key point. I think they've a series of "values" they see the ideal Fulbrighter as having on the web page. It wouldn't do any harm to cover or at least allude to those.

    Another tip, not necessarily just for the Fulbright, try and find out who is on the interview panel. You will, of course, have prepared studiously for the interview (these being potentially the most profitable half hours work you'll ever encounter :)) and if you can describe some aspects of your research/past accomplishments/future plans that coincide with the work of the interviewers. I'll provide an example here: I'm an engineer, and there was an engineer on one of the interview boards. Which was great, but of course he got stuck in with a lot of questions - not difficult, but technical and probably quite esoteric and uninteresting to the others. I had found out the backgrounds of the panel - one was a medical doctor - so once I had climbed back onto safer ground of describing the benefits of my research, I started flinging out the medical applications in particular... Cue some nodding from the doctor. Of course, I mentioned some of the medical applications research being done in Ireland too, you know, for when I return...

    Just out of curiosity what subject/postgrad/school are you thinking of?


Advertisement